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Heart and Stroke Walk raises money at Parkersburg City Park

Teagan DeMoss, of Vienna, Ethan Dye, of Charleston, and Erin Turner, of Clarksburg, lead the survivor’s lap at Sunday’s 2016 Heart and Stroke Walk at City Park. People came out to walk to raise money for heart disease and stroke research. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — People came out Sunday to City Park to walk to raise money for heart disease and stroke research.

Many people participated in the 2016 Heart and Stroke Walk put on by the American Heart and Stroke Associations in conjunction with Camden Clark Medical Center.

“(Sunday) was a beautiful day for a walk,” said Allison Maher, Director of Cardiac Services at Camden Clark Medical Center.

The annual walk has been going on for over 15 years locally. CCMC has teamed up with the American Heart and Stroke Associations to raise money for research.

“We have a lot of survivors of heart attacks and open heart surgeries, heart disease in general that we take care of at Camden Clark,” Maher said. “Some of those people have shown up to walk with us.”

Walkers went out and got pledges and went out walking on their own for a time leading up to Sunday’s walk. Other organizations held events and raised money that was all donated to the American Heart and Stroke Associations.

At Camden Clark, they held basket raffles over the last several months where they raised over $2,500 for the American Heart Association, on behalf of CCMC, Maher said.

The top three business participants were Parkersburg Cardiology which raised $10,000, Camden Clark which raised $2,500, and Peoples Bank which raised $1,644.

The top team was Team Teagan with the top walker Teagan DeMoss who raised $1,632. DeMoss, 13, was diagnosed with heart failure at 1-month-old. She had open-heart surgery at 6-months-old. Her family has been involved with the Heart Walk since she was born.

Team Teagan raised the money through having a yard sale, selling “Team Teagan” bracelets and gathering donations.

DeMoss said it was important for her to continually be involved with the Heart Walk to raise money to help people like her. The money goes for research and helping people like her.

“It has meant a lot to me,” she said of of the help the Heart Association has given her and her family. She wants others to have the kind of support she got.

DeMoss brought in two friends for Sunday’s Heart and Stroke Walk.

She met Erin Turner, of Clarksburg, and Ethan Dye, of Charleston, during Camp Mountain Heart, a special camp for kids with heart conditions.

“We have always been close and we have been wanting to meet up again,” DeMoss said. “I wanted them to come here and see what the Heart Walk was all about.”

She believes both of them had a good time.

“I think they both enjoyed it and want to do it in their own hometowns as well.”

The survivors walked a lap around the pond before being joined by everyone else who then walked as many laps around the park as they could. Heart disease survivors wore red caps while stroke survivors wore white caps.

Organizers hoped the walk reminds people of the dangers of heart disease and strokes.

“We hope people will see the survivors of heart attacks and heart disease,” Maher said. “I hope people would be thinking within themselves about heart disease and what they can do to prevent it.

“What we want people to come away with is an understanding of the causes and treatments of heart diseases and how if affects them and their families.”

The walk is for all people affected by heart disease and stroke, including the individual themselves, family and friends.

Janine Hiles, the Stoke and Chest Pain Coordinator for CCMC, said strokes are very common in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

“We have one or two a day that come to the emergency room,” she said. “People need to be aware of their risk factors in keeping their blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol under control to hopefully prevent the stroke.”

Strokes can be minor or severe, but people need to take precautions to minimize the possible effects of a stroke. That means not ignoring the warning signs.

“People need to seek medical attention,” Hiles said. “Don’t take the nap thinking the symptoms will go away.”

They remind people of the acronym FAST. F is for facial droop, A is for arms feeling like they are drifting, S for speech slurred and T for time to seek medical assistance quickly.

“If you don’t know, go to the emergency room,” Hiles said. “Don’t wait. Seek an assessment.”

Camden Clark was recently certified as a stroke center in the care of stroke patients.

Maher said time is always a factor.

“The faster we can deal with a stroke, the less likelihood of permanent damage,” she said. “It is the same with a heart attack.

“People procrastinate and time is the real killer.”

Organizers are looking at generating interest in the community for future walks.

“This coming year, we are going to concentrate on getting more walkers out,” Maher said.

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